Wisconsin Belgian Red
New Glarus Brewing Company

Wisconsin Belgian RedWisconsin Belgian Red
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From:
New Glarus Brewing Company
 
Wisconsin, United States
Style:
Fruit and Field Beer
Ranked #1
ABV:
4%
Score:
97
Ranked #590
Avg:
4.38 | pDev: 10.27%
Reviews:
1,084
Ratings:
3,843
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 13, 2024
Added:
Sep 22, 2001
Wants:
  1,199
Gots:
  854
You hold the marriage of wine and beer. Belgian Red is a tapestry of flavor. This beer is brewed with whole Montmorency Cherries, Wisconsin Farmed Wheat and Belgian Roasted Barleys, lagered in oak tanks and balanced by Hallertau hops we aged in our brewery one full year.

Over a pound of Door County Cherries in every bottle makes this beer uniquely "Wisconsin." So unique, in fact, that we applied for a patent. Expect this beer to be ruby red, with a medium body that is highly carbonated and intense with cherry flavor and bouquet. Serve your friends Belgian Red in a brandy snifter or champagne flute and toast life with beer from the land of Wisconsin.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by HardTarget:
Photo of HardTarget
Reviewed by HardTarget from Texas

4.49/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Aroma: Deep cherry pit with hints of vanilla. All in all, it smells like cherry pie filling, this is going to be good!

Appearance: Murky blood red topped with a few fingers of very light grey/white head that retreat to a thin collar without lacing

Flavor: Terribly rich! Deep crust cherry pie filling is spot on! No hops noted, but they must be there to keep the sweet cherry taste from going cloy.

Mouthfeel: Medium heavy body and low carbonation.

Overall Impression: Burp! Wow that’s good. My wife loved it as well. Great beer, great drinking. Big props to Goldorak who graciously brought this one out from his cellar. Strongly recommended! Wish it was available in Texas.
Apr 15, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.77 by hnddog

Jan 13, 2024
Photo of Old_Guy
Reviewed by Old_Guy from Wisconsin

4.41/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This was the first beer that showed me how complex beers can, truly, be. Our local grocery store for a village of approximately 600 has an excellent beer and liquor department.
They have a dedicated section of just New Glarus Brewing Company beers. They have all of New Glarus’ regular offerings plus their seasonal offerings too. I’m always looking for new beers to try and came across this. I have always liked anything with cherries in it. So I bought a 4-pack to try. Wow! What a great beer. To me it’s almost sour at first, but just let it sit in your mouth for a few seconds before swallowing and all kinds of flavor and magic happens.
At the time I bought this, unbeknownst to me, it was only a Summertime seasonal offering. To my disappointment when I went back later in the Fall it was all sold out for the year. So I had to wait until the following Summer before I could get and enjoy some more. It has since become one of New Glarus’ regular offerings. Yeah! I can enjoy it anytime now.
I’m retired now and I have told my friends that along with my numerous hobbies I’m also on a couple of quests in retirement. They are:
#1. Find the perfect Beer
#2. Find the perfect Bourbon/Whisky.
We are truly living in the golden age for this quest. With all the micro breweries and distilleries. I figure that I can sample a different beer, bourbon or whisky each day from now until I die and never run out of new things to try. Is this what they mean by “the golden years” when one retires?
I have not completed my quest but will keep trying and enjoy myself as I continue on.
This beer is right up there as one of my favorites. But I will not call it the perfect beer as that would put an end to my quest and I’m not ready for that yet.
Cheers! Everybody!
Jan 11, 2024
 
Rated: 4.23 by Nyoder

Nov 26, 2023
Photo of Rug
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
This is an ancient want of mine, as Imm pretty sure that for the longest time it’s stood as #1 in the very broad style of Fruot And Field Beer. I was never able to find this when I looked on MBC and then one day I just got lucky, because I found 5 New Glarus beers being sold together. All of the others have been pretty good to great, so I’m excited to dig into this legend

Pours a lightly cloudy reddish brown with 2 fingers of light beige head that quickly fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing

I’m not gonna lie, the nose has an odd medicinal quality dragging it down just a bit, though it’s still mostly good. I’m picking up on aromas of tart cherry, brown sugar, jammy raspberry, bready malt, vanilla, lemon zest, and light cough syrup

Things improve significantly in taste, both amping up the tartness and making it feel like a cherry pie. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting tart cherry, lemon juice, brown sugar, dark bread, vanilla, tart raspberry, and light honey. The swallow brings notes of tart cherry, graham cracker, pie crust, lemon zest, raspberry candy, brown sugar, light pecan, and vanilla

A light medium body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a sharp beer. Finishes a tad sticky but is ultimately very refreshing

The aroma had me a bit worried, but this one redeemed itself in taste. I truly wish I had consistent access to this
Sep 27, 2023
Photo of Mdog
Reviewed by Mdog from Minnesota

4.34/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Dark red, good sized pink head.

Smell: Cherries, tartness.

Taste: Nice sweet cherry flavor with a bit of tartness, a little syrupy feel.

Overall: Picked up at the source in New Glarus, I'm not a fruit beer guy, but this was quite tasty. The cherry flavor was more on the sweet side than tart or sour, so that was a plus in my book. Might even have to get a 4 pack sometime!
Sep 10, 2023
Photo of Bouleboubier
Reviewed by Bouleboubier from New Jersey

4.65/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
(12 oz bottle, obtained at the brewery two days ago... poured into a clear, plastic cup)

Compared to the Raspberry Tart, I found much more clarity and brightness in this liquid; foam built on the pour, but didn't persist long... on the nose: cherry cordial, pie cherries; bold and in 3D... on the palate: pie-cherry Heering, but not syrupy sweet; a Flanders red character slowly creeps up in the aftertaste over each sip, never subtly malty, but the dominant flavor is otherwise pie cherries... the balance this maintains in drinkability is remarkable; clean and almost crisp despite suggesting syrupy residuals; its body sports a lithe, drawn out curvature... another spectacular acheivement on their part, mesmerizing and moreish; another I haven't had in 9 years - glad I have some left! (2187)
Aug 23, 2023
Photo of Wiskeytango
Rated by Wiskeytango from Pennsylvania

4.79/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Drink it and you can see it’s world class ranking. Perfect cherry brew exploding with taste
Aug 14, 2023
Photo of OldManBrodie
Reviewed by OldManBrodie from California

5/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
As perfect a beer as you could find. The Door County cherries are as delicious in alcoholic form as they are in pies or raw. The deep red color mirrors the incredible aroma and full flavor of this champion.
Aug 06, 2023
 
Rated: 4.44 by Tree_powers from Indiana

Jul 27, 2023
 
Rated: 4.49 by The_Kriek_Freak from Pennsylvania

Jul 12, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by shadowslink7 from Illinois

Jun 29, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by bruindre from Massachusetts

Feb 09, 2023
 
Rated: 4.05 by BeerKegger

Jan 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4.44 by TreyJ88

Jan 29, 2023
 
Photo of BigFur_4S
Reviewed by BigFur_4S from Wisconsin

5/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I might be biased since a won a Beer vs Wine dinner with this beer on my dessert course. You can tell they somehow get 16 cherries into this bottle, and not in a bad way. Its a little fizzy on your lips during the entire experience from the carbonation. This is the most unique tasting "Beer" I've had the chance to drink. Its thickness is enjoyable since it doesn't stick to the inside of your mouth. Everyone should make the drive to Wisconsin to enjoy this beer.
Jan 23, 2023
Photo of Eddie_Kobane
Rated by Eddie_Kobane from Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Good beer but too sweet, needs a higher ABV than 4% for the 4pk price. A little to cough medicine taste.
Jan 17, 2023
Photo of JamesPatty
Rated by JamesPatty

4.84/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
The perfect mix of sweet and tart! It’s way better than Sam Adams Cherry Wheat
Dec 31, 2022
 
Rated: 4.54 by OtisCampbell007 from Tennessee

Dec 28, 2022
Wisconsin Belgian Red from New Glarus Brewing Company
Beer rating: 97 out of 100 with 3843 ratings